Telecom Review Asia Pacific - Telecom Industry News

US data storage company Western Digital has performed a U-turn on its bid to acquire Toshiba’s lucrative flash memory chip unit after negotiations stalled. The long-running saga looked like it was nearing its conclusion as Western Digital’s CEO jetted into Tokyo for talks with Toshiba last week - after previously seeking an injunction blocking the sale of its chip business, citing that it legally needed its consent before signing off on any deal.

Western Digital Corp’s chief executive has flown to Japan to engage in final discussions with Toshiba over the sale of its lucrative chip memory business. The deal is expected to be finalized within the next few days, which would finally put an end to months of speculation and legal disputes which ensued between both entities.

Young consumers across Asia Pacific are now the core driver for new communications services and will have an impact on operators’ business, said Zhou Jianjuan, Vice President of Huawei’s Carrier Business Group, speaking at the Asia Pacific Emerging Markets Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 29.

Increased data usage fueled growth in Thailand’s mobile industry in the first half of 2017, according to the National Economic and Social Development Board. Pricing competition in the sector dropped, and overall Thailand’s economy increased by the fastest rate in four years.

Chinese firm Xiaomi maintained its lead in wearables for the second quarter of 2017, as the worldwide wearables market once again showed positive growth as shipments grew 10.3 percent year-on-year, reaching 26.3 million, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.

Ooredoo Myanmar’s former COO, Vikram Sinha, has taken on the role of interim chief executive officer, after former chief Rene Meza resigned. The news comes after Ooredoo Myanmar posted disappointing Q1 results for 2017 with revenues down 13 percent.

Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba has enjoyed another incredible financial quarter as it overseen its profits double - as its phenomenal success shows no sign of abating. Alibaba disclosed its latest financial results last week and it revealed that it made a profit of $2.1 billion for its recent quarter, which represents a 96% increase year-on-year.

South Korean conglomerate Samsung has been rocked following the decision by Seoul Central District Court to sentence its leader to five years in jail for bribery. Billionaire, Jay Y. Lee, was the head of Samsung Group but his career is now in turmoil as it faces up to the prospect of spending the next five years in prison.

South Korean conglomerate Samsung Electronics has formally announced that it plans to invest $7 billion in its NAND memory chip production over the next three years. Samsung has a production facility in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi’an - and made the disclosure via statement which ended months of speculation in relation to the investment.